Sheet metal kiln stilt



June 1967 A. J. PERRON ETAL 3,3 ,5

SHEET METAL KILN STILT Filed Oct. 22, 1965 INVENTORS ALHEWT J PEPR'ON filo/Wm JL' KOWflL/K ATTORNEYS 3,324,524 SHEET METAL KILN STILT Albert J. Perron and Thomas J. Kowalik, Amsterdam,

N.Y., assignors to International Product Design & Research Corporation, Troy, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 500,734 7 Claims. (Cl. 25153) of heat resistant sheet metal particularly useful to home ceramicists because it is unbreakable when dropped, resists deformation even when heated to incandescent temperatures, resists warping during repeated cycles of high temperature heating and cooling, and resists warping and deforming due to thermal shock from rapid heating and cooling. In addition, the stilt is adjustable to permit supporting articles at various elevations relative to a supporting surface of the oven or kiln in which the stilt is used.

There are several types of prior known stilts of this type. There is the ceramic material stilt comprised wholly of a molded refractory material, the stilt partially of ceramic and partially of metal, and the all metal stilt.

The shortcoming of the ceramic stilt is that it shatters upon impact and frequently breaks during heating and cooling because of its poor resistance to thermal shock. Also, it is not adjustable.

The ceramic and metal stilt, although sometimes adjustable has the previously mentioned shortcomings of the ceramic stilt.

The previously known metal stilt, although resistant to high temperatures are difiicult to use and wholly nonadjustable. In addition, the prior metal stilts exhibit little if any resistance to warping during repeated heating and cooling.

With the kiln stilt of this invention applicant provides a unique stilt of heat resistant sheet metal which is readily adjustable to support articles at different elevations, is unbreakable, and exhibits excellent resistance to warping due to thermal shock.

The numerous advantages and features of the kiln stilt construction of this invention will become apparent with reference to the drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the kiln stilt of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the kiln stilt of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of reduced size of a sheet metal blank from which the kiln stilt of this invention is formed;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 55 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURES 6-9 are views corresponding to FIGURE 5 and showing article support pins of different heights mounted in the article support arms of the kiln stilt of this invention, the length of the arms increasing from FIGURE 6 to FIGURE 9.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and particularly to FIGURES l and 2, there is shown a kiln stilt 1 having a generally flat base 2 with an opening 3 on the base and a plurality of arms 4-6 projecting upwardly from the base.

Base 2 is of polygon outline configuration, the configuration approximating that of an equilateral triangle.

3,324,524 Patented June 13, 1967 Opening 3 has the same outline configuration as the outline of the base so that legs 7-9 each with parallel side edges 10 and 11 and coplanar with each other form the base.

As shown in FIGURE 3, the kiln stilt is formed from a blank 12 of heat resistant sheet metal such as stainless steel so that arms 4-6 are integral with the material of base 2 and are formed by bending the material of blank 12 upwardly so the arms 4-6 project generally perpendicular to the plane of base 2. The lines 13-15 along which the arms are bent upwardly are shown to be equidistantly spaced from the adjacent apexes 16-18 of the blank which as seen at FIGURE 3 has a regular polygon outline configuration which is three-sided to form an equilateral triangle.

As will be observed with reference to FIGURE 2 each of arms 4-6 formed by bending the material of blank 12 along lines 13-15 is identical and hence, the arms are clearly of equal length relative to base 2 and terminate at pointed tips 19-21 at their upper extremities.

Each of legs 7-9 has a reinforcing rib 22-24 which is elongated and approximately of the same length as its respective leg and is deformed upwardly in the same direction as arms 4-6 to extend approximately midway between side edges 10 and 11 of each leg (FIGURE 4).

At each corner of base 2 the sheet metal of the base is deformed downwardly to provide a plurality of feet 25- 27. Each of feet 25-27 is in the form of a generally spherical depression which extends in a direction opposite to the direction of arms 4-6. The feet each project equidistantly to provide a three point support for the kiln stilt at the tips 28-30 of the feet.

It is to be observed that kiln stilt 1 thus has feet 25-27 .each of the same length so that tips 28-30 of the feet are coplanar, that arms 4-6 project from base 2 in a direction opposite to feet 25-27 and terminate at coplanar tips 19-21 and that therefore, base 2 with its coplanar legs 7-9 defines a plane parallel with and spaced between the parallel planes of tips 28-30 and tips 19-21.

This construction, wherein the kiln stilt is formed from sheet metal and is symmetrical about a center by virtue of its regular polygon configuration, provides a kiln stilt which is unbreakable and is resistant to warping or cracking as a result of thermal shock due to rapid heating or cooling. The stilt may be used to support ceramic articles in spaced relation to the supporting surface of a kiln or oven by placing the ceramic article directly on tips 19-21 of arms 4-6. Since arms 4-6 are geometrically identical having the same height, thickness and length and since the tips 19-21 only engage the ceramic article there is little if any chance for hot spots or uneven heat conduction to the ceramic article which could damage the article during heating.

Where it is desired to elevate the supported ceramic article to support same in a plane above the plane of tips 19-21 a plurality of extension pins 31 are provided and one of the pins is mounted at each of arms 4-6. Pins 31 extend into cylindrical openings 32 provided by inwardly deforming the material of each leg, as at 33, so that the generally cylindrical opening 32 has its axis parallel with the direction that its respective leg extends relative to the base. Observe that this axis is spaced from the leg only slightly and that the opening is dimensional to freely receive the extension pin so that the lower end 34 of a pin rests on the upper surface 35 of the base. By dimensioning opening 32 to freely receive an extension pin 31, removing and replacing the pins can be accomplished without diificulty as would be encountered if the pins fit snugly in the openings. This is especially important because the stilt and pins are subjected to high temperatures which could cause slight fusion between a 3 pin 31 and the wall of an opening 32 if the fit is quite snug.

As shown at FIGURES 6-9, pins 36-39 each of different length may be used with the kiln stilt 1 of this invention. Hence, the height of the stilt can be easily changed or adjusted merely by removing an extension pin of one height, for example, pin 37 and replacing same with an extension pin of different length for example, a pin 39. Of course, the pins at each leg will be replaced so that the ceramic article is supported at the sharpened extremities 40 of the pins in a plane parallel with the supporting surface on which feet 2527 of the stilt rest.

Although a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, it is to be understood that numerous changes can be made without departing from the scope of this invention.

We claim:

1. An unbreakable re-useable kiln stilt comprising, in combination:

a base formed from a blank of flat heat resistant sheet metal of polygon outline configuration, said base having an opening therein of a configuration similar to said polygon outline configuration to provide a plurality of legs integral with each other;

said legs being coplanar with each other and having straight parallel side edges;

a plurality of article support arms projecting in the same direction from said base and formed by bending each corner of said polygon shaped blank at the same angle to the plane of said base; and

a plurality of kiln stilt supporting feet projecting in a direction opposite to said arms relative to said base, said feet each being of the same height to maintain said legs parallel with and spaced from a supporting surface.

2. A kiln stilt in accordance with claim 1 in which said polygon shaped blank has the shape of a regular polygon.

3. A kiln stilt in accordance with claim 1 in which said feet are depressions formed in said base.

4. A kiln stilt in accordance with claim 1 in which each of said plurality of legs has an integrally formed reinforcing rib extending the length of the leg and projecting in the same direction relative to said face as said arms.

5. A kiln stilt in accordance with claim 4 in which said rib of each leg is midway between and parallel with the side edges of its respective leg.

6. A kiln stilt in accordance with claim 1 and which further includes:

a plurality of support arm extension pins; and

each of said arms has an integrally formed struck out portion to define an opening to receive and support one of said pins;

said pins each extending beyond said support arms in a direction away from said base.

7. A kiln stilt comprising a base of heat resistant sheet metal of polygon outline configuration said base having a plurality of integral arms projecting therefrom in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of said base;

a plurality of sets of article support pins with a plurality of pins in each set, the pins of a particular set being of the same length and the pins of different sets being of different lengths;

each of said arms being of substantial width and having a deformed opening therein to removably receive one of said article support pins with its axis generally perpendicular to said base;

whereby, a kiln lstilt to support articles at different heights relative to said base can be provided by placing pins of a particular set in the openings of each of said arms.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 39,365 7/1863 Pointon 25l53 1,425,841 8/1922 Davidson 248346 X 1,530,479 3/1925 Carlson 25l53 2,252,963 8/1941 Fahrenwald 25l53 2,311,942 2/1943 Hagemeyer 25l53 2,584,295 2/1952 Sanzenbacher 248-346 2,743,499 5/1956 Edgerton 25l53 2,921,764 1/1960 Cairnes 248346 X 3,020,617 2/1962 Dopera 25l53 WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN UNBREAKABLE RE-SUSEABLE KILN STILT COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION: A BASE FORMED FROM A BLANK OF FLAT HEAT RESISTANT SHEET METAL OF POLYGON OUTLINE CONFIGURATION, SAID BASE HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN OF A CONFIGURATION SIMILAR TO SAID POLYGON OUTLINE CONFIGURATION OR PROVIDE A PLURALITY OF LEGS INTEGRAL WITH EACH OTHER; SAID LEGS BEING COPLANAR WITH EACH OTHER AND HAVING STRAIGHT PARALLEL SIDE EDGES; A PLURALITY OF ARTICEL SUPPORT ARMS PROJECTING IN THE SAME DIRECTION FROM SAID BASE AND FORMED BY BENDING EACH CORNER OF SAID PLYGON SHAPED BLANK AT THE SAME ANGLE TO THE PLANE OF SAID BASE; AND A PLURALITY OF KILN STILT SUPPORTING FEET PROJECTING IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO SAID ARMS RELATIVE TO SAID 